


Recognition

by KayCeeCruz



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-03
Updated: 2011-12-03
Packaged: 2017-10-26 20:30:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/287523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayCeeCruz/pseuds/KayCeeCruz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Excerpts of an acquintance in Brian and Justin's world.</p><p>Outsider POV.</p><p><i>When Brian had approached him at Woody's and asked his advice on what to do with his - whatever the hell he was - Justin, his first reaction was to laugh because </i>really<i>. Brian Kinney coming to him for psychological treatment was the beginning to a lot of his hotter fantasies. </i></p><p><i>The laughter got lost somewhere between his throat and the look in Kinney’s eyes when he asked for his help. In that gorgeous face that normally showed little to no emotion, he could see way too much. More than he was sure Brian would have wanted to show. More than Alex was comfortable looking at.</i></p><p>Written for the <i>Through The Eyes Of...</i> challenge at neverenough_bj.</p><p>Original Date: August 2008</p>
            </blockquote>





	Recognition

Pulsing, pounding lights and music, bodies strewn in ecstasy, moving to beats that flowed in the air around him and he remembered why he enjoyed these rare nights. They were moments meant for something…he wasn’t sure what. Of course, Freud would say that he was living his own mediocre fantasy of an unreal life in the dredges of careless sex.

Damn straight.

Curling a fist around the strong muscle of the arm that led him to the exit, he pushed for his dance partner to move faster. He wanted his cock in that ass yesterday. He glanced up and saw a familiar dark headed figure taking his leave as well. Brian Kinney. Now there was a specimen of humanity he could spend hours dissecting and never understanding.

“Doc.”

Realizing he had stopped dead in his tracks, he looked up at his companion, smiling indulgently. The guy was definitely worth keeping around for a couple more rounds. “Sorry. Lead the way.” As he passed out of the exit and turned the corner, he glanced to the side, raising one eyebrow when he noticed Brian standing under a streetlamp talking to what he could only assume was a hustler. As the light of the lamp shone on the blonde hair, he got a better look and smirked.

Jailbait.

The boy looked like he couldn’t be more than fifteen. For both their sakes, he hoped he was.

Alex paused when he noticed something between them. A spark of...he couldn’t be sure. He was seeing things. Then he felt hands down the inside of his pants, rough fingers enveloped his dick and all coherent thoughts flew out his mind.

 

~~~~

 

Six months later when he saw the boy's picture in the paper, he'd blinked in recognition...

When he'd finished the story he had been a little surprised to find he had been moved.

Brian fucking Kinney had just managed to show him another layer.

Complicated bastard.

 

~~~~

 

When Brian had approached him at Woody's and asked his advice on what to do with his - whatever the hell he was - Justin, his first reaction was to laugh because _really_. Brian Kinney coming to him for psychological treatment was the beginning to a lot of his hotter fantasies.

The laughter got lost somewhere between his throat and the look in Kinney’s eyes when he asked for his help. In that gorgeous face that normally showed little to no emotion, he could see way too much. More than he was sure Brian would have wanted to show. More than Alex was comfortable looking at.

So he flirted, giving Brian that place where he was who he pretended to be. He took a few good natured stabs at him. He told him what he needed to hear. He hoped in his mind that Brian got through to Justin. He propositioned him with a slight smile and no meaning at all behind the words.

Then, he walked away and wished that whatever happened, they would both survive it.

Because he was sure it wouldn’t end well.

 

~~~~

 

Biting against pressure and that quick jolt of liquid heat that ran from his dick to his chest and back, Alex groaned out loud. He felt cold metal against his stomach, pushed back hard, eyes fluttering open for a moment. There was a loud gasp to his left, one he recognized, and he turned to look.

Brian’s back arched, face contorted with pleasure and it was too much. Alex caught the glimmer of light just beyond Brian. He closed his eyes when a fist wrapped around his cock, and pulling up, one hand gripping the neck behind him, he forgot all about the disaster he imagined was waiting to happen.

 

~~~~

 

Falling glitter blinded the scene playing out in front of all of Babylon. Alex choked down the rest of his drink, eyes fixed on the soap opera that seemed to be Brian Kinney’s life. When Brian removed his mask, Alex felt a lurch in his stomach. If that wasn’t symbolic… He caught the exchange between the man and his boy, saw the glimmer of pity across the other boy’s face, grimaced when Justin walked out and watched Brian’s pain flicker across his face. It was so minute, so fast that had he not been looking he would have missed it.

He raised an eyebrow when Brian lifted the mask over his face and turned to dance with the nearest warm body.

It was the first time in all the years he’d known (of) Brian that he felt anything other than amusement at him.

He recognized what it was: pity.

 

~~~~

 

He rarely thought of people unless he dealt directly with them. It wasn’t Alex’s style to get involved unless you were important to his life. But for months to come, he would think of that look on Brian’s face. He would feel that kick of pity in his gut.

He would hate himself for it.

 

~~~~

 

So when he walked into Babylon and found his eyes, like many others, drawn to the middle of the dance floor, he almost crashed into the tall figure dancing in front of him when recognition hit him. Brian and his Justin. In the middle of the dance floor. Like nothing had happened all those months before. He blinked at the bright grin sent in Brian’s direction. Almost laughed when it was returned with the smallest of smiles because God forbid Brian Kinney let it slip he was happy.

The snort he let out attracted the tall man’s attention and he turned to Alex, raising one finely trimmed eyebrow at him. “Sweetie, I understand the disappointment but you’ll just have to wait your turn.”

Alex blinked. “I’m sorry?”

A long slender arm wrapped around his shoulder and squeezed, pale blue looking apologetically at him. “It’s just…it’s the greatest unification since Austria.”

Another man leaned over and shook his head. “Emmett, it’s the greatest reunification since Germany.”

Emmett waved his hand. “Whatever, Ben. Point is, honey,” he was talking to Alex again, “Brian’s going to be busy for a while. But you know, it’s still him. You can have a go at him later I’m sure.” He patted Alex’s arm, pushing the other man - Ben - to the dance floor.

It would have been really funny... if he hadn’t felt a little empty by what he saw.

Because he was pretty sure it wasn’t time for it to be right yet..

 

~~~~

 

When he heard that Brian Kinney had actually given up everything to save Liberty Avenue along with their happy homo lifestyles and that the only thing he had now was his loft (and clearly that was doubtful) and his “twink” as some of the more bitter of the boys called Justin, Alex had smiled.

He was sure Brian had what he needed.

Then, he remembered who he was talking about, recognized the ridiculousness of that state, and pulled out his checkbook.

Lord help them all if a well-meaning Kinney entered their lives… it had to be the first sign of the apocalypse.

 

~~~~

 

“Evelyn.”

“Yes, Doctor Wilder?”

“When’s my next appointment?”

His assistant looked down at the calendar on her desk then back up with a smile. “Another hour.” She wrinkled her nose at him. “Is that enough time?”

“Let’s hope so. No calls before then, okay?”

“You got it.”

He turned to enter his office, mind already on the task he had before him, when the soft but heated voices drifting out his partner’s office made him pause. There was a glimmer of recognition there and by the time he’d pinpointed who it was, they were walking across the waiting room to the door. It took him a minute to realize he was right in his thinking. Justin’s closely shorn hair had thrown him.

“I was fine, Brian.”

“Did I say you weren’t?”

“I didn’t need you to be here. I told you I would be okay.”

Alex could have sworn he heard Brian mumble back, “Maybe I needed to be here.” but the conversation was cut off and he was left wondering if Brian Kinney had just made a declaration to his partner of three years.

The world was _definitely_ ending.

 

~~~~

 

The rumors were running rampant all through Liberty Avenue and beyond that Brian Kinney, King Stud, was sick.

Alex took a deep gulp of his drink and hoped they were just that… rumors.

If Brian Kinney wasn’t immortal, life just wasn’t what he thought it was.

He bumped elbows with someone and glanced up, seeing Marilyn standing at his side. “Hello Mar. How’s tricks today?”

She smiled over at him, wobbling one hand side to side. “So-so. Could be better.”

“Ain’t that always the truth.”

He pulled out a twenty, threw it on the bar and gathered his coat. Today had been a bad day and he would rather be at home. Alone.

Before he had taken a step, Marilyn’s hand reached out to hold him in place. “He’s going to be okay.”

Alex knew enough not to question Marilyn. “Good.”

“And Doc?”

“Yes?”

“You won’t be alone forever.”

With that she let go of his shoulder and glided across the room to her table.

Well. _Shit._

Brian Kinney was immortal and Marilyn was a fucking psychic.

Alex’s world was getting just a bit brighter by the second.

 

~~~~

 

It was a long time before Alex thought about Brian again. Life was like that. Things, people, events came your way and you forgot some plain truths.

Liberty Avenue was colorful.

The diner’s lemon bars were the best he’d ever had.

Brian Kinney was a complicated bastard.

He watched from the bar, exhausted just at the energy it took for Briain to keep up his façade, watched as he chased one piece of cock after another. He’d heard something about a contest with some boy. Alex had paid little attention. When he’d asked about Justin, someone had told him, it looked like he and Kinney had broken up.

If they had ever been together to begin with.

Alex shook his head and walked away from the thumping beats.

Some plain truths were harder to forget than others.

 

~~~~

 

When the bomb that destroyed Babylon went off, Alex had been twenty feet from the exact point of explosion. One minute there was music and laughter and life….and the next there was nothing but darkness and pain and fear. He regained consciousness some few minutes after and was up to help the paramedics as they came in.

They tried to get him to leave but when he explained he had some medical background, they let him stay. He never mentioned exactly what he practiced. He helped to drag some of the wounded onto the gurney’s. He covered the dead with a sheet. He watched the horror unfold and knew that nothing would remain when it was over. That whoever had done this had managed to destroy everything in their path.

Then, he heard it…a shriek of a name called. Voice filled with fear and anguish. He didn’t recognize who but he understood the feeling behind it.

He reached down to help a boy to his feet when he caught a glimpse of electricity hitting the air, sparks of light and when he looked, he saw them. Reaching for each other, clinging and staying there for what seemed forever.

That despair inside him lessened some.

Apparently, some things survived even the worst of disasters.

 

~~~~

 

As he climbed into an ambulance some time later, he saw them again. Brian clutching the boy -- Alex shook his head -- no, not boy. Brian held onto Justin tightly. He must have said something because every emotion possible crossed Justin’s face. He pulled back and kissed Brian soundly. His face moved from fear to love to disbelief when Brian spoke again and the doors closed then. Alex couldn’t hear, didn’t want to even if he had the chance.

No one had to tell him what Brian must have said. What he could see of Justin’s face said it all.

This time he didn’t let the thought that nothing lasted enter his mind.

 

~~~~

 

Babylon reopening.

Brian on a dais, dancing to the beat of their theme song. They were survivors. Always would be.

When everything else failed, when the world crumbled around them, they would keep on dancing.

Alex smiled, despite the sadness that seemed to come from the man on top of the world. He also recognized the other emotion coming from him in waves: hope.

He had heard something about a failed wedding. He’d read an article about Justin Taylor making his way to New York to take the art world by storm. He’d seen Brian around the last few months.

He was pretty sure the story wasn’t over yet.

 

~~~~

 

Tapping hands against the bar, Alex glanced at his watch, smiling at the time. Of course he would have to wait. He pointed to his drink, his silent order received and another was almost instantly in front of him.

No better service anywhere.

There was a blur of activity and he turned his head to see what it was all about.

He was apparently very bored because he hoped it was some sort of brawl. That’s what happened when he was kept waiting. He’d have to mention that to Trevor.

When blond hair gleamed at him from across the room, he grinned and then catching blue eyes staring at him, he nodded his head, lifting his drink.

He saw a spark of recognition in Justin’s eyes, nothing concrete, before he smiled back at Alex and nodded. Brian came from behind, arms wrapping around Justin’s waist and whispered in his ear. Justin’s smile was as blinding as always and Alex caught himself laughing.

A hand slipped around _his_ waist and he was pulled back. “Care to share the joke, Doc?”

Alex glanced back at his husband. “I was just in a good mood. Can a man not laugh?”

Trevor squinted at him. “Hmmm.” He glanced in the direction of Alex’s gaze and then back, gripping the back of Alex’s neck with one hand as he leaned in. “Do you know them?”

“I wouldn’t exactly _say_ know.”

“Then what would you say?” Trevor asked, amusement in his voice.

Alex smiled, kissing the side of Trevor’s face before turning into his embrace. “Let’s just say I recognize them.”

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback loved and appreciated! <3 You can leave some here or at [LJ](http://freakykat.livejournal.com/147739.html?mode=reply#add_comment).


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